Recipes » Recipe

Five-Ingredient Fast-Prep Chicken Nuggets

five ingredient fast prep chicken nuggets recipe

Is it really this simple to make chicken nuggets? My goal in developing this recipe was to get you away from boxed or bagged frozen nuggets with mile-long lists of ingredients, and I can promise these crispy nuggets will not disappoint. With a short ingredient list and a five-minute prep, you’ll never know these nuggets were baked instead of fried with their crispy exterior, juicy interior, and amazing flavor!

Notes
• If your kids like honey mustard to dip, simply stir up a 2:1 ratio of mustard to raw honey for an easy, fun dipping sauce!
• This recipe doubles perfectly—just use two baking sheets. Doubling will help with having enough leftovers from dinner to put into lunchboxes—or you will be able to have a large stash for your freezer!

five ingredient fast prep chicken nuggets recipe

Five-Ingredient Fast-Prep Chicken Nuggets

Renee Kohley
(dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free)
Course Dinner, Lunch
Servings 28 (1-inch [2.5-cm]) chicken nuggets

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup (55 g) gluten-free panko bread crumbs (such as Ian’s or Jeff Nathan Creations brands)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 pound (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Avocado or olive oil spray, as needed

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or unbleached parchment paper.
  • Put the bread crumbs and sea salt in a gallon zip-top bag and shake to combine them. In a small bowl, whisk the egg. Set the bread crumbs and egg aside.
  • Lightly pat the chicken dry and cut it into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces. Transfer the chicken in the bowl with the egg and stir to combine, so that every piece of chicken is coated in egg.
  • Put the coated chicken pieces into the bag of bread crumbs. Close the bag and shake it to coat the chicken in the crumbs. Place the breaded chicken nuggets on the prepared baking sheet.
  • Spray the nuggets with the oil spray. Bake them for 20 minutes, until they are golden brown on top. Place the cooked nuggets on a wire rack to cool.
  • Chicken nuggets will last 3 days in the refrigerator. To freeze the cooked chicken nuggets, cool them completely and freeze them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. You can put the chicken nuggets into lunchboxes frozen and they will thaw by lunchtime.
  • Serve the nuggets with your kids’ favorite dipping sauce, such as ketchup, honey mustard, or ranch.

Notes

The Little Lunchbox Cookbook by Renee KohleyExcerpted from The Little Lunchbox Cookbook: 60 Easy Real-Food Bento Lunches for Kids on the Go by Renee Kohley. Published by Page Street Publishing Co. Photography copyright © Becky Winkler.
Keyword chicken

Follow Us

Stand up for civility

This recipe is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.